Fligg struggles with climbing, it is nowhere near as easy at it looks like it would be as debris shifts and there isn't a great place to put his feet.
Feora doesn't see any magic, but the spell would not penetrate the debris as it stands.
As the group does this an elderly, elegant woman, who is clearly used to be followed steps into the clearing, as well as a man following closely behind her who is clearly younger, but clearly related.
She sees the group that have recently arrive and gives them a warm, soft smile. "Today's your lucky day. Mulle and Hodd here can't handle this without the Sheriff to hold their hands, and I want to know what happened here. You seem to be a capable bunch.
If you go in there and look through the rubble-find out what happened and why there are kobolds in my town- I'll pay the lot of you 500 gold pieces. While you're looking around in the ruins, keep an eye out for any signs of our local eccentric, Hunclay. It seems somewhat suspicious to me that he's not answering his door. Let me know what you find."
Are you certain it's Kobolds and not simple structural failure? Olivius has run into kobolds before, but not in their own terrain. He is a little wary of going into a recently collapsed building with no knowledge of the original layout. It would be really easy to get turned around in there, not to mention the rubble shifting as it settles.
It is about this time that Mulle and Hodd seem to be draggin two small creatures from the other side of the rubble. By all descriptions...kobolds.
The elderly noblewoman gives a smirk, "Unfortunately...I am sure."
Fligg moves out from behind some chunks of the rubble and begins scampering up the debris.
Feora looks at the pile of rubble, and doesnt seem to be able to figure out how to navigate it. She approaches like she means to try and climb it, and instead backs up. She walks over to the two guardsmen. "Could you place the two kobolds here, maybe I can tell what happened to them?" She would bend down, and start to examine the creatures to get a sense of what has happened to them.
Fligg is able to scale the ramp without much of a hassle.
Open to the sky above, this exposed upper floor contains only some smashed furniture and a sprinkling of rubble . A trap door is set in the floor against the northwest wall, but a stout timber has fallen across it. The timber looks heavy, but Fligg things that two people could easily move it.
Fligg conveys this information mentally to Trig. Trig turns to Olives and Horatio. "Hey guys, Fligg says there's a trap door up there, but there's a big beam covering it. He thinks both of you together could lift it pretty easily. You should climb up there and give it a try," trig says pointing up to the top of the rubble pile. "If one of you has a rope, toss it up to Fligg and he'll tie it off to something to make the climb easier."
Fligg's head reappears over the top of the rubble pile. "Yeah, what she said!" he shouts down, holding out his hands to catch a rope.
Olivius nods and 'gently' hits Horatio on the shoulder like Horatio's been doing this whole time. Except his fist is covered in metal. Looks like we're up, Limp-wrist.
He climbs the rubble with little difficulty and tosses the Fey-boy a hemp rope from his pack. There is a great feeling of satisfaction at being prepared for this. It made being stuck in his armor all day very worth it. Well, and getting to hit Horatio with metal. That made it worth it too.
He easily climbs the rope and assesses the structure.
Horatio feels glad for the slight protection his leather vest provides as Olivius hits him in the shoulder. "After you, Meat-shield," he replies, flashing a grin. He hooks the scroll of his violin into his belt, holds the bow in his teeth, and climbs the rope with a little more difficulty than Olivius, trying not to let the strain show in his face.
Olivius manages to scramble up the ramp at which point he gets a better feel for what has happened here. A sinkhole. It looks as if most of the tower collapsed due a sinkhole, but it's unclear how much of the basement might have been damaged...if any of it was. It's also clear that everyone needs to be careful on this floor, as it does seem somewhat unstable.
Trig tries to get up the rope, but her noodle arms don't do much. "Can you big strapping boys pull me up please? I'm light, I promise!"
Olivius gives the warning and points out where not to step (if he can), then takes one end of the beam and prepares to lift.
Hearing the call for help, Olivius hauls up the rope and attached Trig before hefting the beam.
"Thanks!" Trig says, giving Olive's leg a quick hug. "Fligg, stop being lazy, get over there and help them move that beam."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...." Fligg says, moving over to help Olivius move the beam
Thankfully, the beam is easy enough for Fligg and Olivius to move, freeing up the trapdoor that leads into what remains of the first floor.
"Well, this is going to be fun," Horatio mutters, glancing at the trapdoor. Realizing someone's missing from the party, he looks back down at Feora. "Can you climb up on your own?" he calls down, eyebrows raised inquiringly.
While the others worry about getting Feora up, Fligg inspects the door for possible traps, and to see if it's locked.
Fligg can find nothing on the trapdoor.
Feora watching the flurry of movement looks up, then down at her arms and back up. "I think im going to need some help? But I can try..." Feora very carefully starts to try and climb up to where everyone else is, trying haul herself up and carefully as she can.
“Door looks clear folks, want me to go in and have a look?” Fligg asks after examining it.
"If you're as expendable as Trig says you are, go ahead. If you find any traps, try to scream so we know there's trouble," Horatio says dryly, helping Feora steady herself on the rubble.
"Ha, ha, ha..." Fligg says sarcastically, before opening the trap door and poking his head inside.
Trig goes over to Feora and hugs her leg. He might be expendable but I still get worried every time... The gnomish summoner appears to be equal parts excited and worried about what might be inside the tower. SO glad I came here.
As Fligg looks inside, he sees the tower's large ground floor has mostly collapsed under the rubble, but along the western portion of the room a section remains clear of debris. An iron trap door set in the floor is directly below the door which Fligg is peaking through. Shattered wooden furniture lies scattered around the corpses of two small, green-scaled creatures. There is little light in the room, all of it coming form the trap door above.
"There's another door, bring that rope over here and we can climb down," Fligg says motining to Olivius.
Trig picks up a pebble, and cups it in her palms. "Sun, let me just borrow a little light..." she says, before blowing on the stone. It begins to glow brightly. She tosses it gently down into the room below.
Olivius tosses the rope over and secures it to some rubble.
Not much changes in the room with light, it's just brighter. The two dead bodies clearly died during the collapse of the tower, and Fligg can clearly see that there are no traps, nor is the other trapdoor locked.
As soon as there is light, he descends the rope quickly and makes sure the area is safe for the time being.
As Feora gets to the top, she looks down, struggling to keep her balance. "Be careful down there Mr Olives!"
She seems to move very slowly and has difficulty balancing herself, a problem compounded by her arms that do not seem to hold much in the way of physical strength. Though she dutifully works at trying to climb with everyone.
Horatio attempts to steady Feora, helping her balance on the rubble. "Now, isn't this exciting?" he mutters to her, watching as Olivius joins Fligg. "Well, ladies. Shall we?" he asks, shortly before climbing down himself.
Trig and Fligg make their way down, Trig needs Fligg's help to lower her down. Once they are in the room, Fligg will search the dead kobolds for an gear they might have. Then he will open the iron trapdoor. Trig stands back with Feora, "Never done anything like this before have you?"
Feora shakes her head. "Uhm..., no. I've never even been let outside of the monestary before now. So this is all kind of new to me? I'm probably just slowing you guys down, aren't I?" Feora genuinely tries, still struggling with her balance and her lack of strength.
The two kobolds have a small spear, small sling with 10 bullets, and a small suit of leather armor each. Other than that, there is nothing in the room of not beyond the trapdoor.
"Hey, I'll hold onto these for you hunny," Fligg says, picking up the sling bullets and putting them in his bag.
Trig picks up her light stone and moves to the back of the group. "Let's keep going, yes?" she says, mentally signalling Fligg to open the iron trapdoor.
Fligg nods and walks over to open the door. He gives his mightiest tug on its handle.
"If anyone were going to slow us down, it would be me," Horatio chuckles, trying to put Feora at ease. "I'm like a peacock, always stopping to preen and polish. And Rosaline can be so temperamental at times; I often need to stop and make sure she's alright." He smiles as he watches Fligg open the door, though his eyes are humourless. It's evident he isn't used to being thrust into such strange situations.
The walls of this chamber have buckled precariously in several places, and masonry and dirt are scattered across the floor the collapse above plainly caused this structural damage. The dry-rotted frames of five simple beds lie against the north and south walls. To the southwest, the room broadens into a larger chamber. A rusted, grinning iron statue stands in an alcove in the north wall between the two wings of the room
itself, and in the wall to the south is an old iron door. The only light in the room is coming above, once more, meaning most of it is coming form Trig's stone with light cast upon.
A quiet chuckle is heard as Olivius laughs at Horatio's description of himself.
Trig mutters an incantation under her breath and her eyes begin to glow green. She studies the room in detail.
Tolus checks the iron door, but draws his shield on the way, just in case.
As the group begins to make noise, two centipedes burst from some of the debris and move to attack!
Trig just manages to not see the centipedes before they get the jump on the group.
The two centipedes immediately attempt to bite the closest people to them. The giant insect that attempts to bite Feora misses...barely, but the one that bites Horatio sees to catch him just right, but the bites does not penetrate too deeply. The wounds burns, but Horatio manages to shake off the poison.
Round 1
Heroes are up first!
Trig gestures and a rift of golden-green energy appears in the air over the centepedes' heads. A majestic eagle swoops out of the rift and begins to attack the centipedes. "Go away nasty bugs!" Trig yells at the centipedes.
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